Moose Lake, Minnesota — On a cold, blustery day in April, Bel and I drove to the North Shore to meet Taylor, a rock star known on social media as “Agate Dad.”
Taylor is famous in the world of rocks, specifically agates.
Taylor has over two million followers on all of his social media accounts, who watch him hunt, cut, and polish agates while sharing tips and tricks along the way.
We knew he’d be an excellent guide for our agate hunting trip. We met him at a secluded beach on Lake Superior near Duluth and began sifting through the rocky shoreline.
It’s difficult for beginners like Bel and me to spot an agate. Taylor recommends hunting immediately following a storm, as the lake’s waves will bring up a new crop of rocks. He recommends a sunny day because agates are translucent and glow when exposed to sunlight.
During our search, we came across many beautiful rocks, some of which appeared to be agates, but none were.
Another important lesson for first-time agate hunters: finding an agate requires patience and practice. But Taylor warns that if you do eventually find an agate, you may become addicted.
This is what happened to Taylor five years ago. The first Lake Superior agate he discovered was nothing special. It was only the size of a blueberry, but he was hooked.
Now he has a garage full of agates from all over the world, and his videos of cutting them open have received millions of views.
Bel and I cut open Botswana and Malawi agates, revealing stunning purple and blue banding—and even a geode.
But the Lake Superior agate is unique; on the outside, it can resemble a potato with a yellow or orange husk. The inside frequently has red and orange bands derived from the rich iron ore found in the soil of northern Minnesota.
Though named after Lake Superior, these agates can be found all over the Upper Midwest, having been dispersed by glaciers during the Ice Age.
Today, Moose Lake, Minnesota proudly claims to be the world’s agate capital. For over 50 years, it has hosted Agate Days, an annual summer festival where “rock hounds” come to see and shop for agates from all over the world.
Then they line Elm Avenue for the Agate Stampede, waiting for dump trucks full of agate-spiked gravel to be poured onto the street and the opportunity to search through the pile for their own agate.
Whether you prefer the festive atmosphere of Agate Days or the solitude of Lake Superior, a Minnesota treasure awaits you this summer. Happy hunting!